After 12 months of major updates, new products and new product categories, Apple just took a deep breath.

Tim Cook's kickoff event at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday was jam-packed with information, but the effect was not so much one of exhilaration as exhaustion. There was a lot of detail, but when I took some time to consider all that I had seen and learned, I realized that it was hard to pick out the really major stuff.

Even Apple Music is a refashioning of existing services (Music, iTunes Radio). Subscription-based music is new, and it is a big deal. But it’s also essentially a media-consumption option that others have already offered, not some bold exploration of an unexplored market.

Am I disappointed? Mostly, no. I want better working, more efficient platforms. I see the potential in Apple Watch; I want Apple and its third-party app partners to tap into it. I want transit directions in Apple Maps, which we'll soon have.

This was the story of the keynote. Lot of products and territory covered, lots of feature and performance updates across the board — but no breakout hit.

Even OS X’s next version name is a clear indication that Apple was not charting unexplored territory. El Capitan is in Yosemite. The company made huge, sweeping changes with OS X Yosemite; now is not the time to make even more major changes.

Window management is a fairly specific feature to focus on. I have to assume that Mac customers told Apple that managing multiple desktops was too difficult. Split screens for multiple apps that can live in their own desktop space, and a new Spaces Bar, should help. As should new gestures, like swiping to dismiss an email. I also like that you can drag an image from one open email to a newly composed one.

I also think it was smart to focus on popular OS X features like Spotlight and make them much, much smarter. Whatever you thought of the keynote, Apple enthusiasts are cheering over these updates.

The biggest news for OS X seems to be the swapping of OpenGL for Apple's Metal graphics engine. This could speed up heavy duty apps on the platform and usher in a golden age of native Mac gaming.

Like Google

When you don’t introduce something brand new, you have to focus on improving what you’ve got. That can sometimes result in what looks like catchup.

Case in point: The new Apple Watch Night Stand view, which turns the interface sideways and shows you a clock, is a great idea — but one that I first saw in Motorola’s Android Wear-based Moto360.

There’s nothing wrong with Apple adopting some of Google’s best ideas and, where possible, improving upon them. On the other hand, this was kind of a WWDC 2015 trend.

When Apple SVP Craig Federighi showed “intelligence” in iOS 9, I couldn’t help but think of Google Now. Intelligence turns Siri into a much more active assistant. Its responses and reminders will be in context. For example, if you tell Siri to remind you to remove your coffee off the roof of your car, Siri will know to offer that tip only when you’re by the car (it’ll use the Bluetooth connection to know).

Similarly, telling Siri “show me this when I get home” when looking at a given web page will result in the iPhone resurfacing it when you arrive at your house — which the iPhone has long been able to geo-locate.

Just because Google has had Google Now for a while doesn’t mean Siri isn't getting smarter. In some ways, this looks like parity; in other ways, Apple’s Siri looks smarter. The big difference, one that Apple continues to hammer on, is that Siri doesn’t send your data to Apple for it to keep and drive advertising. It’s a none-too-subtle point that I suspect Google will soon respond to.

Apple Watched

Apple Tech VP Kevin Lynch walks through the new watch OS features.

As an Apple Watch fan, I am probably more excited than most about watchOS 2. To be honest, though, I’m surprised that Apple didn’t release this OS months ago. Third-party apps have been the weakest part of Apple’s wearable device.

WatchOS 2 will bring some awesome new capabilities to these third-party apps, which can finally tap into the digital crown, accelerator, mic and speaker. Time machine, where you can scroll back and forward in time within apps (in CNN’s app, you might see news that’s happened, and when you scroll the digital crown, events that are coming up) is brilliant. Yet this is just the Apple Watch becoming what it was supposed to be in the first place. This isn’t a milestone — especially because we won’t see these new Apple Watch apps until the fall.

Look ahead

Apple SVP Craig Federighi demonstrates how iOS 9 brings some pretty impressive multi-tasking power to the iPad Air 2.

Image: Mashable, Elizabeth Pierson

WWDC 2015’s keynote was, to a certain extent, a signal about future products. All that multi-tasking in the iPad — dual screen, slide-in apps, picture in picture, touchpad control on the iPad screen — makes the tablet seem more computer-like than ever.

It’s a play at productivity, but also a signal. Where would a dual-screen interface work better than on a larger, 12.9-inch iPad Pro?

Apple has been working overtime to raise its iPad business game, especially with its partner IBM. They are already working with Big Blue on mobile apps for vertical industries like travel and healthcare. Businesses still prefer the larger screens, keyboards and touchpads on laptops.

A big iPad running iOS 9, and all those new productivity features, could change some minds.

A different tune

Jimmy Iovine gets a warm greeting from Apple CEO Tim Cook as he takes the stage to announce Apple Music.

Image: Mashable, Elizabeth Pierson

Apple Music held the prime “One More Thing” real estate in the keynote, but with so much already known about the service, the surprise factor really wasn’t there.

It’s a worthy entry in a crowded space with a few elements that set it apart from competitors. There's integration with iTunes (your iTunes history influences “Your Music" choices). Everyone gets Beats 1, the rebranded and reinvented iTunes Radio. I also think the $14.99 family plan is a great idea, if you’re comfortable setting up Family Sharing — which I still think Apple has done a terrible job of explaining.

Apple also did nothing to move the bar on bundling and iCloud storage space costs. I still think they have a lot to learn from Amazon Prime.

Where is it and why is it

I’m not shocked that Apple didn’t release a new Apple TV device, or even a remote. There were signals even before the keynote that Apple wanted to focus exclusively on software. Still, the fact that Apple left out any mention of Apple TV surprised me. I have to believe they still have a major update in the works but are holding it until later this year when maybe, just maybe, we’ll see new hardware.

I am kind of confounded by Apple News. The iOS 9 News app essentially replaces Newsstand with a sort of Apple Magazine filled with content from a whole bunch of sources, including partners who use Apple’s News building platform. It looks great for the consumer and bad for social news aggregator platforms like Flipboard.

I just can’t figure out why it exists. We already have Twitter for curated news feeds; for deeper dives, we have media brand apps and websites. Why should we live in Apple’s News app?

Still worth it

Singer The Weekend closes out the WWDC Keynote in rousing fashion.

Image: Mashable, Elizabeth Pierson

Despite the minor nature of this event, I still found the Apple WWDC 2015 keynote alternately fascinating and thrilling. I loved that we finally had some women on stage, though I still wish we saw more ethnic diversity. Tim Cook, Craig Federighi and Susan Prescott delivered the right level of energy, enthusiasm and humor. The updates sounded worthwhile. We got star power in Drake and pounding new music from The Weeknd.

If you didn’t leave entirely impressed, at least your ears were ringing.

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